Lighthouse
by delightfulchildren
Summary: So this sorta became an emotional funneling story, a borderline deligel, and rlfriend ending hypothesis all rolled into one I hope you like it


A soft breeze whipped across the grassy hilltop, a much softer accompaniment to the waves that crashed miles below, buffeting the jagged, solid earth, used to years of such an action by the salty liquid. Standing within the grasses at the hills peak a lone child stood, barely flinching at the frequent, chilling wind gusts, ones that would've ruffled hair, if the boy had any to speak of that is. Numbuh 1 expelled a short sigh, bringing up his palm and briefly swiping at his cheek with his thumb, swiping away a tear that had managed to escape his eye, feeling himself internally shudder as he willed more of the salty liquid away, he didn't want to cry, he wouldn't cry. Bowing his head to the grass waving softly around his now scuffed black shoes, the operative frowned softly, feeling emotions pinwheel themselves through his subconscious, regret rooting itself slowly in its center. The dejected leader would've soon fallen into a pit of never-ending what if's, that is, if the lighthouse a walking distances feet away didn't decide to explode, or at least one of the thick glass panes that made up the upper half of the cylindrical structure anyway.

"Eeep!"Numbuh 1 unflatteringly yelped, jumping backwards and jamming his heels into the dirt as his widened coal colored eyes watched on as a blackened sheet of what could be deduced as metal, heaved itself out the smashed window, plummeting off the cliff and into the waters below, its splash swallowed up by the disturbed tide. With a quick regulation of breathing, the tuxedo-donned Brit frowned, his mind shifting gears almost immediately with what he had just witnessed, the child's imagination, as well as logistical prowess of deduction kicking into high gear.

Deducing with relatively quick finesse that actually investigating the lighthouse would be the best course of action, the Brit strode forward, chilling winds tugging at his slightly torn attire, like icy fingers clawing at the pitch black velvet, grass blades ruffling against the smooth exterior of his dress shoes as he strode across the cliff side, gazing forward, and upwards at his destination. The cylindrical structure of the lighthouse growing closer with each step, the structures exterior a pattern of white and black squares, the smooth surface shining softly in the light of the moon, but the golden arch of light was less than serene, frequently jerking to a halt, before resuming its circular spin high above the ocean, the light itself fluctuating and flickering like a flash light with dwindling batteries. Expression affixing itself into apprehensive curiosity, the child pause before the lighthouse. The door was ajar, and swung softly back and forth on its rusted hinges, crying out in protest to each wind buffet resulting in motion.

Numbuh 1 gave a short sigh, and strode forward once more, managing to scrounge up a meager air of confidence as he climbed the dimly lit steps, as there were no light fixtures to be found along the winding stairs, dusted with sand that seemed noticeably stirred, the boy realized, his coal black eyes squinting in scrutiny as they did a quick once over of the staircase, his footfalls echoing loudly in the hollowed out expanse. Reaching the top with a slightly winded gasp, the operative rose his foot to step into the light houses light production corridor, flinching back as a golden arch circulated over his form, before the moonlight streaming inside took its place. With a soft clack of sole against smooth concrete, the operative stepped cautiously inside, his slanted eyebrows upraised, a flinch shaking his entire body at the sudden introduction of uproarious sound to his eardrums.

"CLANK,CLANK,CRICK"

The squeaks and bangs of metal being impacted upon echoed from the opposite side of the light rotating before him, partially concealed by a short wall of rust colored metal, and exactly similar to the one that he had watched plummet down from the structure. Yet another step forward garnered an equal surprise at the expense of the unmistakable crunch of broken glass. "Aiiee!"Nigel cried with enough audacity to be mistaken for an alley cat, throwing his backside against the smooth, rounded walls, inching frantically around the mess, lest his cut his already worn shoe soles wide open beneath the softly twinkling shards. His frantic motions falling to a halt as the racket fell silent almost immediately. A wad of spit forced itself down the operatives wind pipe in the form a mildly frightened gulp, the noisemaker unknown in the boys eyes, his palms pressed against the wall, his body as stiff as a plank of wood that could be fashioned into a formidable s.p.l.a.n.k.e.r. A soft shuffle sounded from the opposite side, followed by the appearance of an all too familiar set of bright blue eyes, their owners sending a spike of pure, unbound-less hatred rocketing to the sector leaders very core. His terror filled expression morphing to spite in the mere blink of an eye.

Oh how he hated those eyes

The Delightful Children from down the Lane gasped softly, for only a second or so, merely from an instinctual reaction of shock, before they regarded their more or less 'guest' with their infamous smirks of just mere recognition. Bruce had a wrench clenched between his pearly white molars, in a practice that would probably make Knightbrace cringe in horror, while the rest of the Delightfuls held small wads of wires, depositing them down with a disinterested motion to their sides, while Bruce abruptly spat the metal obstruction from his teeth, the wrench clattering noisily across the floor, bumping against the scowling operatives shoe. The short blonde delightful's tongue protruding from his lips a few times, like a snake extending its own tongue, attempting to rid his mouth of the unpleasant metallic taste. Distractions taken care of, the Delightful Children's smirks grew wider. "Oh, Good Evening Nigellll"The quintet droned, the coldness of their monotone further punctuated by the echoing expanse, and partnered in its chilling element by the breeze escaping inside through the broken window, of no doubt the deviants own making. Numbuh 1's glare of hate grew further pronounced as he swiped the wrench from the floor, regretting the lack of 2x4 technology his person was currently without, the common tool would have to make do if things became dangerous.

Unabashed by the operatives visible hostility, the quintet continued in their more or less, mocking formality's, stepping out completely from behind the chamber of rotating light, which was now jerking about more than when the Brit had made his trek over here, as if loosing its ability to rotate entirely. "What are you doing out here on this lovely evening Nigel? Did you have something to do with that miraculous firework display we witnessed a few minutes ago? Truly spectacular, even if we personally do not care for fireworks"The Delightfuls sighed, extending their arms outwards and gazing with a mere inkling of interest at their acutely trimmed nails, if only to appear as if they didn't expect an answer, or even desired much of one in the first place. The operative felt his insides clench, his right eye giving off a slight twitch from behind the thick frames of his sunglasses, the clear tinted surfaces riddled with scratches. Perhaps a good smack across the face of some of his sworn enemy's would give himself some satisfaction,and perhaps a good distraction after all that would happen would do him some good, if only to wipe the superior smirks from the deviant's faces.

Taking an apprehensive stride forward, the operative scowled, wrench clenched in one hand, and his digits curling into a tight fist in the other. "I could ask the same to you creeps, isn't it time for goody-ten shoes such of yourselves to go to bed?"Numbuh 1 snapped, a smirk upturning his lips at his own derisive comeback. The Delightful's prideful smirks temporarily fluctuated, before returning full force. "We'll have you know that Father extended our curfew by a half hour Nigel!"The quintet snapped back, punctuating their claim by lightly smacking their footwear against the floor before themselves. "Whatever Delightful Drips, the time that matchstick tells you to go beddy-bye dosen't really matter to me"The Brit spat, sticking out his tongue for good measure. Was it childish? Maybe, did seeing how far he could stretch the Delightful's tolerance make up for it? Definitely.

The Delightful Children's pale blue eyes widened a fraction, storming forward, now nearly nose-to-nose with the childishly taunting operative. "Y-You can't talk about Father that way, you bothersome brat! Where do you get the gall to spout such idiotic claims?"The 5 snapped, the operative flinching at the sudden rush of warm breath cascading against his cheeks. "Well maybe I've had a rotten day and wish to poke fun at your Father, or maybe it's because I'm right!"Nigel spat, then recoiled at the sudden deeply personal element of his own banter, feeling his heart try to jump ship up his windpipe as he himself sprinkled salt into his own wounds,and gave off a visible shudder. Needless to say he wasn't lucky enough to have his slip up go unnoticed by the inquisitive, calculating quintet.

"Your not very good at hiding your emotions Nigel"The Delightfuls suddenly pointed out,their anger dwindling abruptly down like a cooling pot of water as curiosity took its place, but jabbing the operative in his red turtleneck cloaked chest just the same. The operative's breathing hitched, blowing a puff of air from his lungs in rebuttal. "Says the kids that barely express them.."The sector leader trailed off, suddenly feeling his rage doused heavily by a blanket of gloom, barely registering the fact that his own feet were giving out beneath him, sending him sliding down the wall to his rump.

Feeling every ounce of his common sense, and instincts as an operative to stop lowering his guard so far down around the enemy scream internally at him, run, fight, do something. The Brit suddenly found himself ignoring it all, as the quintet of evil-doers watched on with the faintest curiosity and speculation brimming in their identical irises, their expressions faintly inquisitive as they themselves remained upright. Nigel's backside touched the floor as he spun himself away, propping his noggin against the wall as he stared off across the cylindrical room. Finding himself with the hollow sense of emptiness he had experienced alone on the ledge trickling in the form of a solemn statement from his lips. "You wouldn't understand, or care for that matter.."Numbuh 1 scoffed, folding his arms tightly over his chest, his spine arching as he doubled over forward, staring at his scuffed shoes, and doing a remarkable job of ignoring the Delightfuls presences in his self-supplied gloom. A soft shuffling sound met the operatives eardrums, and the child craned his neck slightly to gaze behind, eyebrows arching in perplexion. The Delightful Children had sat down on the floor beside him, managing to retain the equivalent of their group formation while doing so, meeting the operatives gaze with the air that of preschoolers that had just been told it was story time.

With a collective sigh seeming just borderline resigning, the Delightfuls raised their palms to their ears in a simple collective motion, brushing their finger tips gently against them, before dropping the appendages to their sides. "We may not completely comprehend your piteous personal problems Nigel, but we've been told that we're good listeners"The quintet prattled off calmly, their pale blue eyes slowly blinking. Numbuh 1 scowled softly, but rotated his person nonetheless to sit horizontally against the wall. "Your joking, right?"The Brit spat, but was given a certainly surprising collective shake of craniums by the Delightfuls, obviously willing to be empathetic for once in a blue moon. With a soft bite of his lower lip, and a last minute decision of actually going through with spouting the events of his day with some of his most hated enemy's, the child sighed. "Fine then, since it seems theres no changing your mind, I'll just start from this morning..."Nigel sighed, beginning from where the whole fiasco began, the Delightfuls leaning partially forward, hanging onto every word as if they were fraying threads, meant to be recovered.

Time ticked by as the Brits flowing words echoed through the lighthouse, each explanation rising in more emotion from the Brit, as if emotional bottle had been uncorked and now refused to stop flowing.  
Unbeknownst to the Brit, he had begun leaning over as he relieved the events of his day through the spoke word, as if his person subconsciously wished to simply curl into a ball as the story progressed into its most regretful territory, nor did he notice the quintet ever so slowly inching closer, intending ahead of time to keep such a piteous display from occurring. Yet it was only through sheer will power alone that the normally devious quintet held back the near overwhelming urge to pitch in their own interjections and two-cents. But when the operatives voice become startlingly choked up with emotion did the quintet cringe in surprise, and the display they had been awaiting occurred, Nigel's bald head fell upon Bruce's shoulder, a makeshift cushion for the weary operative, eyes misting over as he looked down at the floor. "Oh how could I have been so naive! All that time...I just never noticed"Nigel bemoaned, shuddering slightly as the well of tears broke, salty liquid spilling down the normally so proud sector leaders cheeks, breaking down after so long.

The Delightfuls visibly shivered, almost panicked as they looked down at the now emotionally distraught, bespectacled boy, dangerously close to becoming a sobbing mess against Bruce's shoulder. Blinking their pale blue eyes slowly, the quintet dove into their most deeply buried well of emotion, drudging up the most empathy they were willing to show in an attempt to actually comfort the operative, though it did little to quell the panicked look in their own eyes. Slowly bringing up his right arm, Bruce extended his open palm, softly wrapping it around the sniffling leader in a form of a side hug, softly circulating his thumb against the cottony crimson fabric that covered the operatives shoulder, moving the digit in a hesitant semi-circle in what the quintet hoped would be a comforting gesture. And with a throat clearing similar to softly grated sandpaper, the Delightful Children spoke up. "Sometimes...things occur for a reason Nigel, you can't always expect everything to go your way, despite your best attempts to get everything just right"The fivesome droned, the operative raising his head, tears skimming down his cheeks as he took the words into account.

"But s-she was right, I do always put the Kids Next Door as my top priority.."The operative spluttered, flinching back as the Delightfuls eyes abruptly narrowed. "And your going to let that drag you down forever Nigel? You have every right to feel downright awful, we understand that"The quintet droned, Ashley and Bruce extending their arms, placing their hands on the now startled child's shoulders. "But the Nigel we know would pick himself up and move forward, if you have something in life that makes you happy, even if you loose something else over it, you keep excelling further at it, irregardless! You keep fighting supposed 'adult tyranny', lead that team of yours and don't give up!"The Delightfuls suddenly found themselves shouting and wildly shaking the wideyed operative, before falling silent, blinking their pale blue eyes slowly as they retracted their hands as if a viper had lashed out at them. A smattering of eyeblinks was exchanged between both parties, before Numbuh 1's previously misty eyes were slowly set alight with a familiar gleam of confidence. "Sheesh Delightful Deviants, when did you become such motivational speakers?"The operative spoke with a smirk brimming on the mischievous nature the quintet had grown to recognize. "Pshh..We just didn't want to see you blubber on like an infant"The Delightfuls scoffed, seeming content to shove aside the incident as they stood, crossing their arms over their chests with an affirmative glare.

"Whatever"Numbuh 1 spoke as he readjusted his sunglasses with a grin. "Now you dorks best clear out of here before I do bring my team back to investigate whatever it is your actually up too"The operative challenged as he began treading backwards, with the obvious goal of departure in mind. "Oh no, we're absolutely terrified Nigel!"The quintet gasped in mocking retaliation, shuffling back over to the gaping hole in the metal wall, Bruce picking up the wrench that the Brit had dropped. "Hey Delightful Dorks"Nigel suddenly called out from the top of the stairwell, the quintet looked up with a few eyeblinks as they were addressed. "Thanks"Numbuh 1 spoke with a softened smirk, faintly laced with gratitude, before leaping down the stairs with a laugh. The Delightful Children stood still, feeling a slight tug at what they presumed to be heartstrings, their mouths opening and closing rapidly in a manner similar to a fish out of water, as if meaning to say more, before their lips fell shut, and the quintet expelled a soft sigh, the once more unspoken words tucked away, to be forgotten once more. The fivesome returning to their task of removing the rotation element of the lighthouse, a required part on a robot they were constructing. Releasing another short sigh as their blank gazes settled slowly upon the empty staircase, softly swallowing as their expressions flickered for no more than a millisecond.

"Your welcome..Nigel"

End Transmission


End file.
